Device for making cigarettes.



No. 638,904. Patented 066.12, 18991. A. E. BUCKINGHAM.

DEVICE FOR MAKING CIGARETTES.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1898.) (No Model.)

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Tat ana" ALBERT E. BUCKINGHAM, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BYDIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ELEVEN-SIXTEENTI-IS TO WILLIAM DE PONSAND FREDERICK KLINGEBERG, OF SAME PLACE, AND H. C. SEXTON AND ARTHURCASTELAZO, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FQR MAKING CIGARETTES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,904, dated December12, 1899. Application filed April 18, 189 8. Serial No. 677,950. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. BUOKING- HAM, a citizen of England,residing at Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, haveinvented an Improvement in Devices for Making Cigarettes; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

My invention relates to a device which is designed for manufacturingcigarettes singly and it consists, essentially, of a tube closed at oneend and open at the other, having a plunger slidable therein, the stemof said plunger extending outwardly through the closed end and having ahead by which it and the plunger may be reciprocated, said head alsoserving as a lock to retain the parts in position when not in use. Thetube is adapted to contain loose tobacco, with which it is filled whenthe plunger has been withdrawn to the head, and the paper of which thecigarette is to be formed is rolled around the exterior of the tube, theend which coincides with the open end of the tube being folded andclosed. The plunger is then forced outward and the tobacco compressedinto the wrapper, which is simultaneously forced off the tube, so thatwhen it leaves the tube it is filled with the tobacco, which is properlycompacted within it. The open end may then also be closed over thetobacco.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinalsection showing the plunger forced toward the open end and thecigarette-envelop projecting beyond the tube and filled with tobacco.Fig. 2 is a View of the device closed.

The object of my invention is to provide a convenient and rapid meansfor manufacturing cigarettes singly and at the time of use, so that agreat waste of tobacco and the unsatisfactory condition of the cigarettewhen rolled in the ordinary manner may be avoided.

Hand-made cigarettes are usually rolled by the user by partially foldingthe wrapper of which the cigarette is to be made, filling it with loosetobacco, and then rolling it until the edges overlap and form acylindrical tube, in which the tobacco is contained. The objection tothis is that a considerable amount of tobacco is wasted in the processof rolling by escaping at the ends, so that the ends of the cigaretteare empty for a considerable distauce and the tobacco is not properlycompacted within its wrapper. My device overcomes these objections.

A is a tube made, preferably, of thin sheet metal or any material whichis sufficiently rigid for the purpose and having an exterior diameterequal to that desired for the cigarette. This tube is open at one endand closed at the other, having a small hole made centrally in theclosed end, as shown at B. Through this hole extends a stem 0, havingupon the end adjacent to the open end of the tube a plungerD,which fitssufficiently closely to prevent tobacco passing it and getting behindthe plunger. The projecting end of the stem 0 has fixed to it a cap E,which serves as a handle by which to reciprocate it, and this cap iseither screw-threaded interiorly to fit corresponding threads upon theclosed end of the tube A or it may be slit, as at c, Fig. 2, with thesides sufficiently elastic to slip over and fit closely uponthis end.This construction retains the plunger at the extreme end of the tube,where it practically lies flush with the open end and prevents theingress of dirt or foreign substances when the device is car-' riedabout in the pocket.

When the device is to be used, the plunger is withdrawn to the closedend of the tube. The space above it is then filled with the loosetobacco which is to be used in making the cigarette. A paper or otherwrapper of the proper shape and size is then rolled around the tube, theedges being overlapped and made to adhere by simply wetting them in theusual manner. The end of the wrapper, which is sufficiently long,projects a little beyond theopen end of the tube and is then folded inupon itself, as shown at F, so as to prevent the tobacco escaping atthat point. The plunger is then forced toward the open end of the tubeand forces the tobacco into the wrapper, packing it firmly, and by itspressure causing the wrapper to slide off the tube until the plunger hasreached the end and all and the other permanently closed with a centralhole therein, a rod or stem slidable through said hole, having a pistonpermanently fixed to the inner end and reeiprocable within'the tube, anda hollow cup fixed to the outer end, adapted to fit and adhere to thehead of the tube when the piston forms a closure for the opposite end.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set noy hand.

ALBERT E. BUOKINGIIAM. Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, J. STIETZ.

